Interior Renderings: What They Are & What They Aren’t

Among the many hats that a designer wears (we’ll get into all of those hats someday..!), one of them is Renderer. Not all designers offer this service, but if you’re a person that has trouble visualizing a space, then it may be beneficial to find out if your designer offers renderings. Even if your designer charges hourly, it’s a worthwhile investment as a few hours of the designers’ time can help you see the big picture and get on board with the design.

Renderings are a tool to visualize. But they aren’t required. Sounds contradictory, right? Let me explain.

If you’ve hired a designer, then you’ve already done your research. You already know that this particular designers’ style and look resonate with you. That alone should allow you to TRUST the designer! We can’t preach that enough - you must have trust and faith in their direction. Sometimes clients think they are ready to hire a designer, but when it comes to the first pass at inspiration and mood boards, the client begins to hesitate with each looming decision; they ask for revision after revision after revision. Look, that’s completely fine (we don’t mind doing revisions), but you need to know that you are wasting billable hours with revisions that the designer knows you don’t need. So if you’re not ready to trust the designer, you’re not ready to hire a designer. Just take that in for a moment……. 🤔💡😊

Ok, let’s say you are ready to trust your designer. And you love the vision he/she is showing you. But there may be still some detailed questions, such as, “How does the crown molding transition around the room?”, or “Do I add an accent tile in the shower or not?”. Those are totally legitimate and expected questions! That’s where renderings can be extremely helpful; not only for you, but your contractor as well! Renderings are a tool to further explain the overall direction.

The first rendering took about one hour to create. We drew it up for our contractors to get an idea of what the design direction was, but it was for estimating purposes (knowing that there would be cabinets below for storage and bookcases above; that the beams would transition into the crown molding above the fireplace, etc.). This way, our contractor could put together a much more detailed estimate together prior to finalizing all of the details. Of course, there were still many decisions to be made about this design (finish carpentry, type of moldings, exact transitions, etc.), but this was enough to get the contractor started. And it was well worth the time it took as now the client can “see” what we see.

Another example of rendering was used for a master bathroom renovation. The client was having a hard time visualizing the space as it would look - specifically whether there should be a wall between the toilet and vanity and whether the shower or window should be closer to the tub. She wanted a very serene, timeless and neutral space - very little grout lines, etc. To help put her mind at ease, we spent a total of two hours creating two renderings for her.

The next rendering was extremely sketchy because we were simply trying to show the client how the colors/fabrics would work together. The most important part of this rendering was to allow the client to see all the patterns and colors together and determine transition points for trims, moldings and built ins.

So, when you’re getting ready to hire a designer, you need to decide whether this might be something you require - do you have a tough time visualizing the full picture? If so, this might be a great tool for you! But ALWAYS remember that if you’re getting ready to sign a contract with a designer, be ready to trust them - they know what they’re doing!